Clothespin



B. JQHNSON Sept. 11, 1956 CLOTHESPIN Filed March 50, 1954 INVENTOR.

fife/vee Jay/v.60

W, M i AM United States Patent CLOTHESPIN Bernard Johnson, Milwaukee,Wis.

Application March 30, 1954, Serial No. 419,717

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-139) This invention relates to improvements inclothespins and more particularly to a clothespin of the coil springtype.

The invention consists in the structure of my clothespin in which anintermediate loop of the coil spring presses the cloth against one side(usually the top) of the clothes line, and the legs of the clothespinsimultaneously laterally press the cloth against opposite sides of theline. The sides of the line under pressure of the legs are arcuatelyspaced from the side of the line engaged by the loop by more than 90degrees. Accordingly, my clothespin engages the cloth to the line in atriangle of forces which insures positive retention of the cloth on theline.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a clothespin embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing my clothespin engaged with theclothesline and a piece of cloth.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 2, the cloth being omitted.

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the device of Fig. 2, the cloth beingomitted.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the device of Fig. 2, the cloth being omitted.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the clothespin and line show ing the clothespinin its position prior to engaging it with the line.

Fig. 7 is an inverted plan view of the device shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the line 9-9 ofFig. 2.

The clothespin comprises a length of resilient wire which may be woundor otherwise formed into a coil spring having downwardly extending legs11 which cross in an X-shape. The spring is desirably given 1 /2 turnswhereby to constitute two coaxial partial coils 12 in side by siderelationship, the connection between the coils constituting anintermediate loop 13 terminating at each end in end loop portions havingthe tangential legs 11.

At the point Where they cross the legs 11 are laterally spaced adistance somewhat less than the normal cross section of the line 14.

The spring is laterally resilient and when applied to a clothes line thelegs will be cammed apart to separate the coils 12 somewhat as shown inFigures 3 and 4, thus imposing lateral closing bias on the legs 11.

The clothespin may be applied to the line and intermediate cloth 15 inthe manner illustrated in Figs. 6-8. The cloth 15 is first draped overthe line 14. The clothespin is desirably held at an angle to the linewith its legs crossed over the line as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. From thisposition the clothespin may be simultaneously rotated through about 45in a clockwise direction and 2,762,102 Patented Sept. 11, 1956 thrustdownwardly against the line to cam or wedge open its coils and shift thepin to its position shown in Figs. 2 and 5 in which the legs laterallyembrace the cloth against the line and the intermediate loop 13 engagesthe cloth against the line. As best shown in Fig. 5 the legs 11laterally engage the cloth against the line at points thereon which arearcuately spaced from the point engaged by loop 13 in excess of degrees.Thus, the pin engages the cloth against the line in a triangle of forceswhich resists displacement of the pin from the line in any direction.The lateral resilience of the coil spring maintains pin engagement withthe cloth and line, thus insuring positive retention of the cloth on theline.

In its position of use shown in Figs. 2-5 and 9 the legs 11 of theclothespin extend beneath the line from the side of the line on whichthe coil from which each leg extends is disposed. Accordingly, as bestshown in Figure 9, the cloth is snubbed about the under surface of theline. As best shown in Figs. 2-5 the spring coils are at a slight angleto the line. Accordingly, their legs extend beneath and cross beneaththe line.

The clothespin may be released from the line simply by pulling it up. Itmay also be twisted in a counterclockwise direction to slide the legsover the line and cam open its coils to release from engagement with thecloth and line.

The device is extremely simple to fabricate. The clothespins are muchsmaller than those currently available and many of them can be carriedabout in an apron pocket. Yet, because of the positive contact of theintermediate loop with the top of the cloth and line and the lateralengagement of the legs with the sides of the cloth and line, under theresilient bias of the spring, a secure interlock of line, cloth, and pinis achieved. The pressure of the legs 11 and loop 13 on the cloth andline will vary depending on the cross section of the line, the specificcloth, the number of coils in the spring, the gauge of the wire and theangle of one leg to the other. To meet specific conditions of use theclothespins may be fabricated accordingly.

I claim:

1. The combination with a clothesline and cloth, of a clothespincomprising a helical coil spring having an intermediate loop and endloop portions, said end loops terminating in tangentially extending legswhich cross at a point spaced from said intermediate loop and divergebeyond said point, and space between said divergent legs being open toreceive said line and cloth therebetween, said line and cloth beingengaged by said pin with the intermediate loop in pressure engagementwith said cloth and line, and the legs in lateral pressure engagementwith the cloth and line at substantially oppo site sides of said line atpoints more than 90 arcuately displaced from the point of pressurecontact of the intermediate loop whereby the cloth is held to the linein a triangle of forces positively retaining the cloth on the line.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said legs are spaced apart at thepoint where they cross a distance less than the cross section of theline whereby to be cammed apart when the pin is applied to the line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS656,724 Matthews Aug. 28, 1900 1,310,587 Summersville July 27, 1919FOREIGN PATENTS 619,662 Great Britain of 1949

